High Speed Wobble - 2008 Touring

[Rich Brewer]

I have an '06 standard (I guess) and mine drifts off to the left with both sets of crash bars ( engine and passenger). I hit 140 yesterday and held it for about 2 miles without any shaking or drifting yesterday.

 

[ROCKETHEAD]

Getting the bike on a lift, with the front tire just touching the ground, getting the front end unloaded. Then loosen and re tighten the main crash bar bolt did it on my 08 R3T. Actually heard a pop when the bolt was loose, pulled the bolt out and everything lined up and the spacers as well. Make sure you have the spacers between the motor and the frame holes.

 

[cr0ft]

I'm not even sure I can get mine up to 130 mph with the 19 inch Clearview on there... last time I had it up to 110 mph or so mine tracks straight as an arrow - with new Cobras put on this year and new Progressive 444's in the rear. Used to have a minor tendency to wallow or some such with the stock but with the 444's it tracks beautifully. With the worn out Metzelers I had I wouldn't have dared to try, got front-end shake while riding straight on level ground with those...

 

[mully95]

I have used my LAST Metz front tire. Make a long story short I installed a Avon Cobra on front and it's a different motorcycle. I would get the wobble around 100 MPH with a new Metz tire and would get it with a worn out Metz. I got the Cobra on there, took it over 125 mph without the slightest twitch. I will not buy another Metz tire.

 

[rash_powder]

At about 110mph mine tracks straight and experiences no wobbles. I've the summer wind screen, crash bars, bags, etc. At legal speeds, I have noticed a left hand drift when I let go of the bars. Its quite significant, and feels as if I need to lean almost off the bike to the right. This is not due to road crown or anything environmental, but it could just be my fat *** not sitting straight too.

Do not underestimate the force of the drag on the bike. Any small imbalance will be noticeable. For example, if the windscreen is perfectly square to the forks and triple tree, it will impart a force that may cause it to drift. Now say that the auxillary lights are a little off square too, and you have the possibility for an oscillation as the two forces work against each other.

I may be totally wrong too. But it sounds good.

 

[cr0ft]

No drift at all on my R3T, you might want to try loosening the engine bolt and re-tightening.

 

[STRIPES]

Your all Missing something Important Here

If you are getting any movement in your steering at high speed ... For God Sake Guys!!

Get Your Steering Head stock (US. Triple Tree) Bearings checked and re- torqued.. You can do it yourself Page 14.16 in the manual.

Adjuster Nut Torque setting is 40 nm (29.5 lbs/ft) Cap nut is 65nm (48lbs/ft)

On a 2008 the bearing Pre Load has deminished due to normal bearing wear.

It happened to me once and got my attention the second time I felt it
I re-torqued the bearings, Fixed it, wasn't ready to die yet...

Hope this grabs you attention too

Attention Grabber 2
One other thing the R3 motor forms the lower part of the Main Frame, Noticed ???
Make sure the Engine mount bolts are tight or it will be a Pendulum..
A Big One!

Additional Attention Grabber 3
One last important issue.. Keep your Tyre Presures spot on (They Leak) and depending on your choice of Tyre.. I have found some tyres track the road suface joints and cracks.

Riding Style
The R3 is a heavy lump.. I personally let it do what ever it want and keep it in check, fighting it is Hard Work..
JM2CW Hope this Helps, Ride Safe!

Ditto

 

[IMFASTTOO]

When I started reading OP post I thought I had posted this thread. lol

My 2010 Roadster without a windshield but has the fly screen wobbles at 110 mph. I used to be able to go beyond 125 without problems with a car tire. I have a car tire on the back now but it wobbles at 110 and I have to back off. I use dyna beads in the front tire so I contacted dyna bead company asking them am I running the right amount of beads or should I go back to standard lead weights. The response was somewhat confusing but they said

" The wobble you have explained does not have anything to do with the balance of tire. If it was a up and down "hop" then yes you need more beads. Most likely it is a mechanical issue you are looking at. The reason why you wouldn't have noticed this with wheel weights is because the Dyna Beads will just balance your tires, whereas wheel weights will tend to cover up anything else that could be going on with your vehicle. I would give the bike a good look over, make sure everything is tightened up, make sure the wheel isn't out of round or egg shaped. We've found that even something as simple as a loose mirror can cause some serious vibration. Hope this helps."


I personally don't think that a windshield has anything to do with since my bike doesn't have a windshield. Now the car tire may very likely be the problem but I do remember going beyond 110 with the car tire..... but why did it start all of sudden?

I just installed a new Metz on the front and while I had the frontend up I noticed that my steering is very easy to move left and right. There is NO friction whatsover. The sport bike I used to have had a Ohlins steering stabilizer built on the front. I wished I had one on this bike. I will go over my bike and check my torque specs as mentioned above.

I agree what are the tire pressures ? it could be the rear tire causing the wobble as most roads are crowned and the bike will pull to one side as the rear tire follows the road surface road .and the flat car tire will exaggerate this condition AND the steering head bearings should not be to tight the forks should fall side to side without any friction tight Bearings will cause a wobble .

 

[STRIPES]

I have experienced a severe high speed wobble. Very scary. Wayne Tripp diagnosed my problem às loosebearings. Wobble diasappeared after he tightened them.

 

[IMFASTTOO]

I have experienced a severe high speed wobble. Very scary. Wayne Tripp diagnosed my problem às loosebearings. Wobble diasappeared after he tightened them.

YEP that will do it for sure .